Belize City

FCM Custom Share Links

Belize City is more of a town than a city—few of the ramshackle buildings here are taller than a palm tree. Beyond the city centre streets give way to two-lane country roads where animals outnumber people. Any dining room downtown could leave the impression that everybody knows everybody else in this town, and certainly among the elite who can afford to dine out, that's probably true.

Although on paper Belize City looks like an ideal base for exploring the central part of the country—it's two hours or less by car to San Ignacio, Corozal Town, Dangriga, and even less to Altun Ha, Belmopan, and the Belize Zoo—many old Belize hands will advise you to get out of Belize City as quickly as you can. They point to the high crime rate, similar to or higher than the rate in an inner-city area of a large U.S. city, and to drugs and gang activity. They also note the relative lack of attractions in Belize City. There are no good beaches in or near the city, except for one man-made beach at the Old Belize facility west of town, built to attract cruise-ship visitors. Although you can sometimes spot manatees and porpoises in the harbour, and birding around the city is surprisingly good, still this is not the wild rain forest visitors come to see.

All of that is true enough, and certainly any visitor to Belize City should take the usual precautions for travel in an impoverished urban area, which includes always taking a cab at night, but Belize City does have an energy and excitement to it. There are good restaurants, including the best Chinese and Indian food in the country, a vibrant arts community, and, outside some of the rougher parts of town on the South Side, nice residential areas and a number of pleasant hotels and B&Bs. Belize City also offers the most varied shopping in the country and is the only place to find sizeable supermarkets, department stores, and the Belizean version of big box stores. And there is always some little treasure to be discovered in a shop with mostly junk. All in all, it's far more interesting than any modern mall.

There's also an easygoing sociability in Belize City. People meet on the street, talk, joke, laugh, and argue. Despite the Belize City streetscape's sometimes sketchy appearance, people in the shops and on the street are incredibly friendly, polite, and helpful.

If you haven't spent time in Belize City, you simply won't understand Belize. Belize City is the commercial, social, sports, and cultural hub of the country. It's even the political hub, despite the fact that the capital, Belmopan, is an hour west. The current prime minister, Dean Barrow, a solicitor who came to power in February 2008, former prime ministers including Said Musa, many of the other ministers, and nearly all of the country's movers and shakers live in or near Belize City.

One longtime Belize resident, Phyllis Lane, who lives near San Ignacio, says that despite its problems she enjoys making day trips to the city and always encourages visitors to spend some time there: "Being a landlubber, I enjoy the boats, seabirds, and smell of the salt air, and of course the Swing Bridge, watching the fishermen on fishing boats sell their fish, and seeing what fish and sea creatures are for sale in the market. When I first came here I was amazed at the fish and meat stalls, at how they were out in the open, and weren't refrigerated like back home. I think it's good for tourists to see that there are other ways of living than what they are used to. Isn't that the point of travelling?"

The FCM Difference

It’s always been our approach to people that sets us apart from other corporate travel companies – it’s the way we nurture our staff and the freedom we give them to establish long-term relationships with their clients.

Expense Management

Mobile Solutions

FCM offers our travelers the latest technology via the web or mobile to access their travel information 24/7. Solutions include FCM Portal a complete online travel resource and FCM Mobile for travelers to access their itineraries whilst on the move.

Group Travel

Meetings & Events

FCM's event management teams blend their expertise with creativity and industry alliances to maximize your return on investment for every occasion. FCM has the ability to manage corporate forums of any shape or size.

VIP Travel

At FCM Travel Solutions, we provide highly individualized travel services for executives on the move. We recognize that some executives have special travel needs requiring a greater level of attention and/or luxury.

Travel Programs

FCM’s access to a global network of airfares, hotel accommodation and car hire ensures customers get the best possible prices for travel. All your travel needs are covered with our range of travel insurance, transfers and group travel options.

Our People

Our people are our biggest asset. Their experience, proactive approach and ability to leverage the company’s global reach, product range and leading technology to deliver better travel ideas for your business is what creates the FCM difference.